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“Your sister,” Talon interrupted, “acts as though you were in a hole the entire time you were . . . gone.” A painful expression crossed his face. “But last I checked, it wasn’t Arianna who almost died. Perhaps her abilities aren’t the ones we should be worried about.”
Ellie huffed. “I was excessively outnumbered and I doubt even you could have fought your way out of all that.”
“I don’t know,” Rion cut it, closing the distance separating them. “I’ve seen him fight his way out of a lot.” Silence fell over the group. Had Rion just . . . complimented Talon? She knew her friend had almost killed Rion once and, in turn, had almost died. They were two males on almost equal grounds, both on the same side, willing to fight for the same things, yet not quite allies.
Ellie scoffed, ignored them, then stepped back a few paces before sinking into a stance. Rion stiffened. His magic crawled from the edges of the platform, rolling across the stone before rising to circle around her.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “You don’t seriously think I’m going to hurt my sister, do you?”
Arianna sighed, lifted her hands, and shifted her feet. “He doesn’t, but our instincts don’t care.”
Ellie rolled her eyes again. “Stupid Fae instincts.”
“I’m using that one later,” Kirian called out. Arianna eyed the book in the half-breed’s hands, wondering at the little journal he had been writing in seemingly since he arrived.
Ellie snapped her fingers. “Focus.” Arianna did. She looked at her sister. The younger who should have been the elder. The daughter who might have made a better queen if fate had only willed it.
Ellie dashed forward and Arianna moved with her. Ellie kept her movements easy, slowed a fraction as the females parried and struck, falling into a familiar rhythm. They used to meet one another three times a day. Once beneath her father’s unforgiving gaze. Once with Talon correcting their forms. And once beneath the stars where they could focus without judgment.
The pair had always been close.
Ellie pushed a little harder and sweat beaded on Arianna’s forehead. Her forearms stung as she blocked Ellie’s strikes, and she winced when her sister grazed the side of her cheek.
Rion was as still as the stone beneath her feet. She could feel his instincts warring, wanting to protect her yet reminding himself she wasn’t in any real danger.
Arianna glanced at him. A mistake. Ellie had twisted her arm, but to avoid injuring her sister, Ellie pivoted to catch her instead and lost her balance. Rion caught them both with his magic, softening their fall.
Ellie stood and brushed the dirt from her clothes with a scowl on her face. “You shouldn’t look away. You know better."
She did know better. All those lessons and one would have thought she would have learned by now. But Arianna had never been capable of keeping her focus on her target. Not when so many prying eyes were judging her every movement.
But Rion wouldn’t judge her and neither would Talon. They were her allies. Her friends. And both had stood with her in the face of death.
Arianna stood, brushed off her clothes, and faced her sister again.
***
Twenty minutes later, both were panting, coated in sweat, and Arianna was fairly certain her forearms would be covered in bruises by morning. Rion had relaxed enough to busy himself with his own movements, which had distracted her more than once, earning her a sharp rebuke from Ellie.
Talon was at the opposite end of the platform pulling water from the air. Arianna looked between the two males and part of her wondered if they would ever be more than, well, she wasn’t sure what to call them exactly.
Ellie swung again, her movements faster and more focused. Arianna ducked and shifted to the side. Had they been using magic, she might have struck out at her sister, but they’d save that sort of training for another day. She hoped.
Someone coughed and Arianna risked a glance toward the stairs. Gods, when had so many people shown up?
“Eyes on me,” Ellie commanded, her voice breathless.
Arianna tried but faltered when Ellie struck her again. Her sister winced when her fist collided with Arianna’s ribs then Ellie drew back entirely.
Her father’s words began echoing through her. Weak. Useless. She’s two years younger than you and you can’t even best her?
“My Lady?” Niall’s concerned voice echoed from the top of the staircase and every head whipped in his direction. His brows furrowed. “What are you doing?” He wore a tan tunic today with black pants and boots to match. His hair wasn’t unruly and no bags hung beneath his eyes, making Arianna wonder if last night had affected him at all.
“She’s training,” Ellie said, irritation practically radiating from her tone. “What’s it look like she’s doing?” Ellie wasn’t one to forgive easily, and after seeing those mothers clinging to their children, Arianna wasn’t sure she wanted to forgive him either. She still wasn’t even sure she’d stay. As queen, could she command his removal? Was it even worth trying?
He glided down the stairs as if carried on a phantom wind. For all Arianna knew, that’s exactly what he did. Or it was another glamour. That was another thing she wouldn’t forgive: altering her mind without her permission and hiding things from her that were so obvious to everyone else. He’d made her look like a fool.
Niall stopped just outside the training ring. “Why?” he asked.
